France / 30-08-2012

Antisemitic attacks in France up 40% since March

French Jews have seen an uptick of 40 percent in antisemitic attacks since March, when Islamist terrorist Mohammed Merah killed three children and a rabbi at a Jewish school in Toulouse, Reuters reported.

According to Simon Wiesenthal Center Dean Abraham Cooper, French Interior Minister Manuel Valls confirmed in a meeting that “there was an increase of 40 percent in antisemitic and anti-Jewish crimes in France” after Merah’s murder, which was inspired by al-Qaida.

Cooper, who told Reuters that the increase in anti-Semitism is “shocking” because “the French authorities on both sides of the political aisle did exactly the right thing immediately after [the] Toulouse [attack],” said he asked Valls to implement further measures ensuring the security of French Jewry.